Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Most Americans Oppose Obama's War on Christianity

New surveys by The Wall Street Journal/NBC News and the New York Times/CBS News both indicate that the majority of Americans do not favor the ObamaCare mandates requiring employers to provide free contraceptives, abortifacients, and sterilization for female employees.

[The Journal/NBC News survey] showed women by 53% to 38% said religiously affiliated employers should be able to opt out of the birth-control rule that requires employers, including religious institutions, to offer contraceptive drugs free of charge. Men favored a religious opt-out by a slightly wider margin.

. . . when asked whether the government should mandate that Roman Catholic and other religiously affiliated hospitals and colleges offer birth control paid for by the institutions' insurance companies—as required by the [ObamaCare] rule—Americans were opposed by 45% to 38%. Women split evenly, with 40% in favor and 40% opposed.

When Journal/NBC pollsters asked more specifically whether the government should require religious institutions to provide such contraception coverage—including the morning-after pill, which would be covered under the rule—opposition rose further. Americans overall were opposed 49% to 34%, and women were opposed by 46% to 35%.

A significant majority – 57 percent -- of Americans believe religiously-affiliated employers such as universities or hospitals should be able to opt out of the Obama administration’s mandate to cover the cost of contraception, abortifacients, and sterilization for female employees, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll released Tuesday.

Fifty-one percent believe all employers should be able to opt out.

The New York Times/CBS News poll's questions were not exactly accurate because they only mentioned "birth control" in describing the mandate. They did not mention that the mandate also requires coverage for sterilizations and drugs that induce abortions.

President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats have sought to take political advantage of the controversy over whether HHS should force people--particularly Catholics--to act against their faith in purchasing or providing insurance coverage for sterilizations and all FDA-approved contraceptives including those that cause abortions. Democrats and the administration have tried to frame the issue as a question of conservatives and Catholic bishops waging a war on women.